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For Questions 3-5, choose one of following methods of solid-waste disposal and treatment
for each. (Answers may be used more than once or not at all)
I. Sanitary Landfill
II. Incineration
III. Discharge to sewers, streams, and rivers
IV. Chemical Treatment
V. Biological Treatment
3. Which method reduces the volume of waste but could release toxic emissions into
the atmosphere?
4. Which method is used most frequently in the United States today?
5. Which method introduces microorganisms to break down hazardous organic
compounds?
6. Which method would be best suited for neutralizing the acidic components of waste?
10. Which of the following is most likely to occur as a result of wetland destruction
around a river?
a) Decreased levels of nitrates in the river
b) Decreased sediment load in river
c) Increased DO content in the river
d) Increased species diversity in the area
e) Increased flooding frequency in the area
11. Since the Clean Water Act of 1972, the quantities of nitrate and phosphate entering
surface waters have…
a) Decreased significantly for both point and nonpoint sources
b) Decreased significantly for nonpoint sources but not point sources
c) Decreased significantly for point sources but not nonpoint sources
d) Changed insignificantly
e) None of the above
13. Which of the following characteristics about the Chesapeake Bay is true?
a) It contains brackish water
b) Its water is slightly basic
c) It is the 5th largest estuary in the world
d) It has an excessive amount of oyster reefs that has become problematic
e) Both A and C
15. Which of the following is the best example of a point source of water pollution?
a) Storm water
b) Acid rain
c) Agricultural Runoff
d) Factory effluent
e) Residential pesticide runoff
16. In the United States, the largest single component of municipal solid waste is…
a) Food scraps
b) Paper
c) Glass
d) Wood
e) None of the above
17. The Clean Water Act has turned out to be ____ in achieving their promises with
regards to point sources of water pollution.
a) Extremely effective
b) Somewhat effective
c) Somewhat Ineffective
d) Extremely ineffective
e) The Clean Water Act doesn’t primarily deal with point sources of water pollution.
18. The central goal of the Clean Water Act was to…
a) Categorize water into types of use and then establish an array of different cleanup
goals
b) End all water pollution in the U.S. by 2050
c) Eliminate all nonpoint source pollution where economically feasible
d) Make all surface waters swimmable and fishable
e) All of the above
For questions 21-26, read the statements and decide whether each is true (a) or false (b).
21. Air pollution can lead to water contamination via a process called atmospheric
deposition.
22. A marsh is a type of wetland ecosystem characterized by poorly drained mineral soils
and many grasses.
23. MTBE is a gasoline additive that was intended to reduce carbon monoxide content
in vehicle exhaust, but is now a very serious source of groundwater pollution in the
United States.
24. High levels of fecal coliform indicate that the water is highly pathogenic.
25. Acid rain can have a pH of as low as 4.
26. It is best for shore birds to catch stranded fish and invertebrates during the tidal ebb.
27. The high productivity of estuaries has been attributed to the presence of several
primary production units. Which of the following would NOT be considered a
primary production unit in an estuary ecosystem?
a) Phytoplankton suspended in the water column
b) Benthic algae in areas where sunlight reaches the bottom
c) Marsh grasses and other macroflora
d) Juvenile zooplankton that come in with the tidal cycles
e) All of the above
28. In the situation where a main sewage system is not provided, sewge may be collected
from homes by pipes into ___, or cesspits.
a) Lagoons
b) Septic Tanks
c) Mound System
d) Either B or C
e) None of the above
a.) Algae
b.) Squid
c.) Shark
33. Which disaster caused the formation of the National Environment Protection Act
(NEPA)?
34. True or False: Approximately 12,000 people die a day from ingesting poor-quality water.
35. What does the process of flocculation consist of and which sewage treatment type is it a
part of?
b.) Velocity of water is reduced, allowing suspended materials to form negatively charged
colloids; Potable
d.) Velocity of water is reduced, allowing suspended materials to form negatively charged
colloids; Municipal
a.) Plants take CO2 from the soil where organic carbon in manure and fertilizer is used to
sustain soil using plants.
b.) Animals gather the carbon atoms from eating plants and release it through respiration
c.) As dead animals and other detritus such as leaves or wood decays, the carbon atoms
enter the ground
d.) The carbon atoms found in the ground become fossil fuels that is potentially used by
human, therefore releasing carbon back into the atmosphere
38. True or false: Carbon is released into the atmosphere through the respiration of animals,
the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and forest fires.
a.) Oceans
41. What sets the phosphorous cycle apart from the other biogeochemical cycles?
c.) A + B
42. Which act gave the Environmental Protection Agency primary authority to establish
water-quality standards?
a.) Sedimentation
b.) Filtration
d.) Flocculation
a.) At night
45. T/F: There are 8 ways to calculate water quality: dissolved oxygen, turbidity, total
solids, total phosphates, pH, BOD, nitrates, and fecal coliform.
46. Which of the following is the most important indicator of water quality?
a.) 67.9%
b.) 4.8%
c.) 2.5%
d.) 98%
a.) Turbidity
d.) pH
49. T/F: Mining, fertilizing, and sewage runoff can contribute to extra phosphorus which
will help some species like algae take over.
c.) Keep CO2 from accumulating at a more rapid rate in the atmosphere
51. Identify this estuarine habitat & another name for it.
52. What is this habitat threatened by? (The more listed, the better)
54. Which of the following is this type of estuarine habitat, located in the United States?
56. Why aren’t these estuaries tidally-driven? What are they driven by?
58. How would you describe the water in this estuarine habitat? (with regards to temperature
& nutrient content)
59. The upmost layer of the plants that make up this habitat is called the canopy. What are
the two layers under that called? Briefly describe both.
BONUS
60. The name "estuary" is derived from a Latin word meaning what?